Here are some of the most common myths and misconceptions that traditional pet food manufacturers would like you to believe — and why fresh food is what you should really be looking for in your dog’s diet.

The Lie: 

Legally speaking, most pet food isn’t food at all. It’s actually “animal feed.” This isn’t just the difference of a couple of letters — the safety and quality standards for feed-grade products are drastically lower than food products.

What's Real: 

Fresh food from The Farmer’s Dog is not feed, it’s real food and is really healthier for your dog.

The Lie: 

You may have heard the wildly inaccurate rumor that “kibble cleans teeth,” but nothing could be further from the truth. As kibble is chewed, it shatters and gets stuck all around the mouth, where its high sugar and starch content quickly turns to plaque. 

What’s Real: 

Fresh food slides off teeth though, making it easier for your dog to keep a naturally clean mouth.

The Lie: 

All kibble, no matter the price, is extremely processed. Even if they do use higher quality or human-grade ingredients (which is rare), the extreme heat and pressure used to make kibble destroys their nutritional value.

What’s Real: 

Our fresh recipes use only human-grade ingredients, gently steamed to retain as much of their natural nutrients as possible.

The Lie: 

Loose regulations allow companies to get away with being awfully dishonest about what's actually in your dog's food. Juicy chicken breasts and other gorgeous ingredients may be pictured on pet food bags but in reality, what’s inside is usually just “meal” and scraps unsuitable for human consumption. And while terms like “Organic,” “Natural,” and “Premium” sound nice, they are legally meaningless.

The Real: 

Don’t pick your pet’s food based on which has the prettiest packaging. Make the decision based on what food is healthiest for your dog!

The Lie: 

We were taught to check that the first ingredient in our pet’s food was meat — but this isn’t a reliable measure of quality. Did you know: Almost 40% of pet food products contained meat not listed on the label.

What’s Real: 

Our packages, and our food aren’t hiding anything. You can see (and taste!) all of the ingredients we use to make our recipes, right there in the bowl.

The Lie: 

Meal, typically listed on the ingredient label as “Beef Meal,” or “Chicken Meal” etc, is made from diseased meats unfit for human consumption, superheated to sterilize them, and turned into a powder. Sound gross? That’s because it is.

What’s Real: 

There’s no such thing as healthy food made with meals. Stick to healthy, whole ingredients like those used in fresh food!

The Lie:

In the pet food industry, the term “with” is a tricky one. A food claiming to be “made of” or “from” an ingredient really does need to be primarily made with that ingredient. But a food claiming to be “made with” an ingredient can actually be just 3% of that ingredient.

What’s Real:

Instead of looking for pet food “made with” real ingredients, choose one that you can tell exactly what’s in it just by looking at it.

Vet Formulated

Human Grade

Personalized Meals

The Farmer’s Dog makes feeding real, healthy food really simple, with fresh, human-grade recipes shipped to your door. Build your dog’s plan today and get started feeding smarter, healthier pet food!

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